A Brief Lesson in Lego Terminology

Do you ever get irritated when someone makes a grammatical error? Are you irked by linguistic discontinuities that seem blatantly apparent to you, but unbeknownst to the speaker? Well, chances are you are not just a victim, but also a perpetrator. To put it plainly, there is a decent chance that any given reader uses the term "Legos" to describe everyone's favorite toy. We appreciate the effort, but unfortunately this is WRONG.

This police officer knows what he's doing. Notice the handcuffs.

LEGO is a brand name, and therefore should not be pluralized to describe its products. Proper form is to use "LEGO" as an adjective, with a noun behind it. For example, instead of "Legos", one should say either Lego bricks, pieces, parts, or elements (the latter being the most formal). "Blocks" is also regarded to be incorrect. To describe an entire product, say "Lego set". Kit is incorrect. Also, use minifigures (or minifigs, for short), instead of "people". If my word is not good enough, I have found some official statements from the company. The first was originally issued in 1980, and is still upheld. The second is an excerpt from the Lego company's trademark infringement rules.

“The word LEGO is a brand name, and is very special to all of us in the LEGO Group Companies. We would sincerely like your help in keeping it special. Please always refer to our products as “LEGO bricks or toys” and not “LEGOS.” By doing so, you will be helping to protect and preserve a brand of which we are very proud, and that stands for quality the world over. Thank you!”

Proper Use of the LEGO Trademark
"If the LEGO trademark is used at all, it should always be used as an adjective, not as a noun. For example, say "MODELS BUILT OF LEGO BRICKS". Never say "MODELS BUILT OF LEGOs".

Exceptions

First off, I will make the note that official form for multiple building elements is "LEGO® brand building bricks," but honestly that's ridiculous and nobody really takes the time to say that every time. Most often, builders will use just LEGO, though it is generally also accepted to capitalize only the "L" in an informal setting. I do it that way because if you put LEGO in all caps too many times in an entry, I find it distracting.

According to official rules, it is also incorrect to refer to The LEGO Group as simply "Lego" (It's officially TLG), and also to refer to "your Lego collection". These two rules can usually be safely disregarded during casual use, because there isn't an easier but still respectful form. The former should probably be observed if you own any different products similar to Lego, but if you despise and eradicate these knock-offs like I and many fans do, you're fine. It is also usually acceptable to address Lego bricks as simply "Lego" in a casual setting, but NOT "Legos".

These guidelines are nothing new, the first statement having been issued thirty-three years ago. It may also be helpful for you to notice that no official statement from the company has ever used the term "Legos", and some word processors even treat "Legos" as a typo, while accepting the proper form. So, out of respect for the company and for the sanity of nerds everywhere, kindly try to use proper terminology. Happy building!

Attack of the Ewoks!

I have recently acquired Lego set 10236, the Ewok Village. This monstrous set is truly a necessary addition to any Endor layout, but it carries a hefty price tag of $250. It has 1990 pieces, though, so that's about twelve cents per piece-- much more reasonable than a lot of other sets. I found out about this set a month or two before its release, and began saving up for it immediately. You will soon see why.

The Ewok Village as it comes, without other sets thrown in.

Let's start with the minifigures. The set comes with 17 of them, making it the second largest number for a Star Wars set (the Death Star has 24). They include two Stormtroopers, two Rebel Commandos, two Scout Troopers (which have a new, vastly improved design), a new Luke, a new Leia (with a fabric skirt), a new R2-D2 (with a silver head instead of gray), the most recent versions of Han and Chewbacca, and five Ewoks: Wicket, Chief Chirpa, Teebo, Logray, and an unnamed one.

The five Ewoks: Wicket, unnamed, Chirpa, Teebo, and Logray

The new Scout Trooper has
more accurate armor.

The Building Experience

The building experience is very enjoyable. The trees and other structures are similar enough to be cohesive, but unique enough to keep you engaged the whole time. The set is built in several sections, which can be put together and separated easily, allowing multiple configurations. The lower parts of the trees and the sockets in the floor are color coded, so it is easy to tell which tree goes where. The trees and undergrowth are very fun to build, and the rope bridge is tedious, but also fun. The worst part are the railings, since it is difficult to get all of the droid arms evenly spaced. The set has some rare pieces, such as the mushroom tops, the Death Star Trooper helmet, and some 3X3 plates (when did they invent those?), but for the most part it is composed of familiar pieces and colors. It took me perhaps an hour or two to build, but for some it will take longer. If you hate applying stickers (as I do) then don't worry-- there are only three!

Functionality

This set has an abundance of play value in addition to its striking construction. There is a catapult which works very well, a hidden hollow in one of the trees, a pop-out spider web (which also has a new design), the swinging log trap (it was used on an AT-ST in the movie, but the trees are only tall enough to permit speeder bikes), C-3PO's floating chair, the roasting spit, an escape chute, and the net trap. The top part of the village also houses a campfire, a kitchen of sorts, a bedroom, and a room with design charts on the wall. The set also has two drum sets: one of regular drums, and the one with imperial helmets.

Han Solo hanging from a rope

The Finished Product

Because of its huge size and incredible detail, this set is perfect for AFoL (Adult Fan of Lego) display as well as KFoL (Kid Fan of Lego) play, though the only problem is it is a bit expensive for the target audience. All in all, this is an excellent set, perfect for bolstering your Endor collection. I have thrown in some of my other sets to make the scene bigger, such as 7657, 7956, 9489, and 9492. I think this set would look great next to the shield generator bunker (8038), but I don't have that one. I'll have to round one up just to complete the series. Anyway, I highly recommend this set to fans of any age. It really is a work of art.

Luke fights alongside two Rebel soldiers

My fleet of speeder bikes prepares to attack.

Chewie throws the driver out of the AT-ST

The complete battle, with TIE Fighter, just for fun. Happy building!